Boys Never Learn
by Kailoa
Summary: Sequel to "Sirius's Top Ten". Sirius and James strike up another contest before the start of 7th year, but this time it's Sirius who'll be in for a surprise...
1. Soo prize?

**Boys Never Learn**

**Yay-ness! The sequel is here! I'm pretty busy this week, I'm writing a literacy test that I _have_ to pass to pass through high school so I might be a tad busy with that… Which is why this first chapter is nice and long. Expect the next one… maybe by Thursday? Thanks to everyone who reviewed Sirius's Top Ten, I hope you like this one too…**

**I feel so special! Someone's written a story based off mine! See Evil-Angel-911's 'The Hogwarts Top Ten'. Plus, I've decided that some of the chapters are going to have songs, this one does at least, seemed appropriate, a nice hint to what's going to happen… gasp**

**Chapter 1: Soo-prize?**

_Summer lovin', had me a blast  
Summer lovin', happened so fast  
Met a girl crazy for me  
Met a boy cute as can be  
Summer days drifting away  
To, uh oh, those summer nights!_

_- Summer Nights, Grease_

"So you're friends with Lily then?" Sirius asked, leaning over James's shoulder to take a peek at what he was writing. Instinctively, James adjusted his arm to cover the parchment from Sirius's view. Sirius grunted. "You're friends?"

"_Yes_, Padfoot. Now could you please leave me alone? I'm _trying_ to concentrate." James replied irritably, dipping his quill into the ink well on his desk to replenish his supply.

"You're friends," Sirius repeated, causing James to groan loudly, "and you write her every single day?"

"Why not?" James asked in disbelief. "She's my friend, she'll want to know what I'm up to."

"Nothing has happened since you wrote her _yesterday_." Sirius said agitatedly. "You know _why_ nothing has happened? Because all you do is sit around and plan out your bloody letters, then write them."

"So?" James replied stubbornly. "I already told you that she's my friend and I want to keep in touch."

"_So_… If I didn't live here, you'd write to me every day too?" Sirius asked skeptically.

"Of course." James lied, using a tone that made it quite obvious he was doing so.

"Really Prongsie?!" Sirius asked, ignoring his tone and squealing like a little girl.

"Sure, Padfoot." James said tiredly, rubbing his temple in hope of defeating his oncoming headache.

"Well in that case," Sirius said with a mischievous grin. "I'm off." Acting as serious as he possibly could Sirius marched to James's bedroom door and swung it open deftly, causing it to bang on its hinges loudly, and James's head to finally pop up.

"_Where_ are you going?"

"Not sure." Sirius paused for a moment to look thoughtful. "Somewhere though. And I'll be gone for the rest of the summer, so you'd better write me."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Do I ever '_kid_', Jamesie dearest?" Sirius asked innocently, before skipping out the door.

Apparently Sirius wasn't kidding. After yelling out into the backyard, threatening to tell Cass that Sirius loved her, searching the house top-to-bottom and asking Mrs. Potter if she'd seen the impish Marauder, James still hadn't found him. James wasn't worried, of course; only curious as to where Sirius might have gone. He wrote quick owls off to Remus and Peter, who both responded saying they had no idea where their friend was, Remus making a point of expressing his dismay that James hadn't written yet that summer and asking for a more detailed reply. James, of course, after reading Remus's letter, tossed it aside, groaning in disbelief. "Where are you, Padfoot?"

Much like his owner, Feathery-Beast was an owl that liked to make an entrance. He was a large screech owl, brown-feathered and well groomed, who was known to be as loud as his owner. Just as James spoke, a tapping on the window alerted James of the owl's presence.

After James opened the window, the owl circled the room a few times, hooting loudly just in case anyone else in the house was unaware of his presence. James rolled his eyes in a fashion similar to Lily.

Seeing James's annoyance, the owl dropped the letter from its claws and promptly soared out the window. James grabbed the letter impatiently and tore open the envelope. He'd already written a letter to Lily that day, and was now bored without his wild friend. His eyebrows were furrowed as he unfolded the thin parchment, and they rose substantially as his eyes scanned the page.

_Dear Jamesie-poo,_

_Just writing so you and your mum don't worry. I expect a letter tomorrow, F-B will be there to pick it up, as you're such a dafty and you don't have an owl. Your mum's owl wouldn't be able to find me, or make it back if he did._

_Padfoot._

------

"Lily! A friend from school's here." Charlotte Evans called up the stairs, causing Lily to drown. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and an old, large sweater of James's that she'd found, which he must have forgotten at Christmas. Her hair was damp and wavy, she was in the middle of painting her toenails, and she was sick.

"Who?" Lily called back grumpily.

The muffled apologies of Mrs. Evans came from the hall, and before Lily could even question whom it might be, Sirius Black burst through the door. Ignoring her gob-smacked expression, the handsome young boy began to rant almost immediately.

"Can you believe him?" Sirius asked allowed, pacing Lily's room and gesturing wildly in the air, as if to emphasize his point. "He didn't write today! He said if I went away…"

Lily gave him a bemused smile. "Care to explain, Sirius?"

Sirius shot Lily an exasperated look. "He's written to you _every bloody day_ of the summer!"

"Who? James?"

Sirius nodded gravely in response, and Lily laughed, before quirking a brow. "So what's your problem with James writing me constantly?"

"My only problem, Lily-love, is that he spends _every_ friggin' moment either writing to you, or _deciding_ what to write." Sirius replied. "And he said that if I didn't live with him, he'd write to me too, but obviously he was just making excuses to give you special treatment! Just friends my arse."

Lily laughed again, a throaty, gentle laugh, before going straight into a coughing fit. Sirius glanced over for a moment, looking somewhat concerned. "Okay there, Lily-love?"

Lily nodded, though she was still coughing and covering her mouth with one hand. As the coughing fit subsided, she found her voice, which came out scratchy and dry. "Yeah. I'm sick. Did you leave the Potter's?"

Sirius nodded, his arms crossed over her chest immaturely. "And Jamesie _still_ hasn't written to me! I've been sleeping in a bloody cardboard box for two days, and he _still_ hasn't written me."

Lily smiled sympathetically. "If it makes you feel better, he's written to me _about_ you."

Sirius's face brightened. "Really?"

Lily nodded. "About what a stupid twat you are for abandoning him, how immature you're being, and how mad his mum is that you left without saying where you were going."

Sirius winced. "I probably should write Mrs. P. Just to let her know I'm safe with my Lily-love."

"I thought I was 'Lily-kins'. Where's this Lily-love thing coming from?" Lily asked curiously, as she stood and wobbled over to her desk, trying not to walk on her toes and mess up the still-wet polish.

"Yeah, well. Things change." Sirius answered wisely.

Lily snorted, although it ended out rather disgustingly, as her nose was stuffed up, and she quickly grabbed a tissue, wiping her nose before handing Sirius a blank piece of parchment.

Sirius looked queasy as he carefully took the parchment from Lily, as if it were contaminated. "I think I might stay with someone else, Lily-love. Just 'cause I don't wanna get sick."

Lily quirked an eyebrow, looking unconvinced. "Who will you stay with then?"

"Err… Remus."

"He's on holiday in Majorca with his parents." Lily replied knowledgably. "You'd you if you or James ever wrote to him."

"Peter then." Sirius suggested, in a defiant tone.

Lily chuckled. "His mum hates you. She wouldn't let you stay."

"Fine! Scott then."

"_Abby_?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Why not?" Sirius defended.

"Err… I dunno." Lily admitted. "It just seems odd. You've never been that close, and I assumed your fan club would be next."

Sirius shrugged, deciding not to mention he'd rather spend the rest of the summer with and date Cass than have anything to do his fan club ever again.

"Besides," Lily continued. "She, Cass, and I are going to Spain for a few weeks. That's why I'm packing." Lily gestured to her suitcase, which was empty but surrounded by piles of clothing.

_Cass._ Sirius hadn't mentioned it to James, who was constantly busy writing to Lily, but he missed Cass even more now than he had when they were at school, and he saw her everyday. He could picture her perfectly in his head, the way she looked at the Halloween Ball before the whole mess with Lily and James had started. Her dirty-blonde hair had been curled into ringlets similar to Lily's natural ones, and her dress had made her ice-blue eyes stand out.

"What's wrong Sirius? Need to chat?" Lily asked, in a sincere tone as she watched him fall into deep thought, which didn't happen often.

"Yeah, I think I do." Sirius confessed, surprising Lily, who'd assumed he'd just shrug her off. "What do you do, dear Lillian – "

"Lily." Lily corrected.

"What do you do, dear Lillian," Sirius repeated. "When you're in love with someone?"

Lily's eyes widened considerably, but once she was over the shock of his question, she was able to offer a somewhat intelligent answer. "Tell them?"

Sirius shook his head. "No… Things are kinda uncomfortable between us."

Lily's grinned playfully. "Does the lovely lady who's stolen Sirius Black's heart have a name that starts with a _C_?"

Sirius grinned nonchalantly. "Maybe."

"LILY!" Charlie roared, bounding up the stairs three at a time and flinging himself into Lily's room, red-faced and breathing heavily. His hair was still the flame-red Sirius remembered, but slightly longer; his face was more freckled, and he was several inches taller. "IS IT TRUE – " His eyes widened as they fell on Sirius. "SIRIUS! YOU _ARE_ HERE!"

Lily winced as her younger brother yelled. "Keep it down Charlie, honestly – "

"I thought Mum had gone psycho when she said you'd come." Charlie told Sirius eagerly, ignoring Lily. "Here to teach me more about Quidfish?"

"Quidditch." Lily corrected mindlessly.

Sirius shook his head. "Sorry mate. But James and I will pick up training when you join us at Hogwarts, yeah?"

Charlie sighed loudly, but nodded. Lily smirked and stuck out her tongue at Charlie, who, recently had been acting more and more like a boy.

------

"Can you believe him?" Lily asked, still in disbelief about Sirius's sudden appearance at her door. "So he stayed for a few days and then went off to bunk at Bryan Bell's."

"No comment." Cass replied, as she grabbed Lily's hand and tugged her along faster as the three weaved through the crowded airport. In her other hand she gripped her suitcase, and had her dirty-blond hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, while Lily tugged along a duffel bag and Abby lugged two suitcases.

"Lily, get over it." Abby answered, "We're going to miss our flight if you don't shut up and keep moving." Cass nodded in agreement, and Lily pouted.

"It's not fair, you two always gang up on me."

Cass rolled her eyes. "Come on, Lily. We hardly ever gang up on – "

Cass was interrupted as she fell forward, only to be caught by the boy who had knocked her over. Pulling herself away from him, Cass glared openly at the boy, who was tall and tanned with short black hair; too angry to notice he was quite good-looking. Lily and Abby did though.

"Could you watch where you're going?" Cass asked furiously, pushing herself farther away from him.

"I am sorry. Very sorry." The boy spoke in rough English, gesturing wildly with his hands. "I did not see you… I am…"

"Clumsy." A second boy finished, popping up behind his friend. This one was shorter, about Lily's height. "I am Fabio."

Cass snorted. "And I'm not interested."

"Well," Abby said brightly, putting on a false smile. "It was nice to meet you, Fabio. We've got a plane to catch. Come on girls."

Abby was still determined to be the matchmaker who would patch everyone's relationships up back at school – Lily and James and Cass and Sirius. She knew from experience now that Latino boys were trouble, and it would probably be hard enough to get everyone back together _without_ two attractive boys tossed in the mix.

"And I am Elias!" called the first boy, waving frantically, his eyes resting on the back of Cass's head as the trio sped away.

"And we _don't_ care!" Lily called brightly over her shoulder, causing Abby to smile to herself. Maybe other boys _wouldn't_ be as much of a problem.

The girls checked in quickly and grabbed a coffee at a tiny café once they were in the terminal. After an hour or so, in which they chatted about their upcoming year at Hogwarts, the girls boarded their airplane, and were in quite good spirits until a familiar-looking boy dropped down in the seat next to Cass.

"Hola hermoso." Elias said with a grin, pushing his rucksack under the chair in front of him.

Cass glared at him in response, before looking to Lily and Abby who were too interested in a magazine to notice who was sitting beside her.

"Are you going to ignore me the entire trip?" Elias asked, his thick accent rolling his r's and causing his voice to sound quite husky.

"Hello." Cass said with a polite but irritated tone. "My name is Cassidy. Now _please_ leave me alone?"

Elias smiled mysteriously. "I sense you are… urting?"

Cass frowned in confusion. "_Urting_?"

Elias nodded insistently. "Yes, urting from love."

A look of realization dawned on Cass's face. "Oh. You mean, _hurting_ from love… Why would you say that?"

Elias shrugged. "I can tell these things. The way you hold yourself."

It was then that Cass realized how similar Sirius and Elias were in appearance. Both were tall, with dark black hair (though Elias's was shorter) and both seemed to be rather pricky too…

"Am I right?"

Cass was jolted from her thoughts of Sirius by Elias's question and, surprising herself, she nodded.

"Tell me about him." Elias ordered, sounding much more like a long-lost friend then a boy she'd just met on a plane.

"He goes to my school." Cass answered, her voice already wobbling slightly. "We started being friends just this year, and we grew close… I started to like him around Christmas… And then on Valentine's Day… he kissed me."

"He is your boyfriend then? Yes?" Elias asked, as if he were asking if the weather was bad or not.

"No. He said it was a mistake."

"Then he must not be as great as you said he was." Elias said with a wide smile. "I think you are beautiful, Cassidy, mi amor, and I promise I would not do such a thing to you. If you gave me a chance…"

Cass snorted. "You don't know me, Elias."

Elias smiled. "But I am willing to learn."

------  
  
_Dear Remus,_

_Spain is great, although we haven't seen much of Cass as she's spending all her time with this Spanish lad we met at the airport (in London, no less!). But Lily and I are having fun. It's been sunny and hot all week, and I'm almost as tanned as you now, and Lily's sunburnt, so she looks like a tomato._

_I miss you though, and I can tell Lily misses James too, but don't mention it to her. I've heard rumors down here about a potion that's being developed that might help with your illness, so I'll look into that. We definitely should meet in Diagon Alley before term starts._

_Missing you,_

_Abby_

------  
  
_Dear Abby,_

_Thanks for your letter, my summer's dull and boring without you. I'm sure you've heard how Sirius has moved out of the Potter's house, purely so that James will write to him? Well since I'm in Majorca, he's been staying at Bryan Bell's, and owling me constantly about how bored he is without me. I won't mention the Spanish boy to Sirius, or he'll blow a casket._

_That potion sounds interesting, although I was a bit more interested in hearing more about you. It must be nice not to be staying with your parents. I've gone on seven different tours all looking at the same bloody waterfalls, but my parents just can't get enough of them. _

_I miss you. Write again soon, and I'll definitely see you in Diagon Alley._

_Remus._

-----

"_Mum_." James whined as he staggered down the stairs early one Tuesday morning, about two weeks after Sirius had left. Feathery-Beast showed up every day to pick up a letter, but James had thus far refused to write on. He and Sirius had been friends for as long as he could remember, and he knew eventually Sirius would get bored and come back home. Remus had been sending James letters every few days, telling him when Sirius was staying then, as he was shuffling around quite a bit, and James was quite surprised he'd chosen to stay with Bryan Bell for the last week or so.

"Yes, _pumpkin_?" Mrs. Potter replied in a sarcastic babying-tone, pinching her son's cheek as he strode into the kitchen.

"I _hate_ summer." James pouted.

Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes. "If you'd planned to do some things with your mates, you wouldn't be."

"But they all abandoned me."

Mrs. Potter gave her son a skeptical look. Since dating Lily, he'd gotten quite mature, and obviously something had happened between the two, as she now had her whining, acting-like-a-four-year-old son back. She wondered if she should remind him he was sixteen. "They didn't abandon you James, now grow up. You were too busy writing letters to Lily, so Sirius got bored and decided to do something about it. You knew Remus would be in Majorca, Lily and her friends are traveling, Peter's studying all summer so he can have a good head start next term – "

"That's a fine idea! You ought to do that too, James." Mr. Potter commented as he joined his family in the kitchen, pecking Mrs. Potter on the cheek.

James snorted. "What? _Study_ all summer?"

Mr. Potter nodded. "It's nice to see someone taking initiative to improve his marks."

"Dad. Peter's been studying every summer since he came back from first year. And he _still_ flunks."

"James…" Mrs. Potter warned. "That's no way to talk about a friend…"

James shrugged. "But honestly, Mum – "

"Lily word!" both Mr. and Mrs. Potter yelled at the same time, pointing at one another enthusiastically.

"Pardon?" James asked, looking bewildered.

"I said it first!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed.

"I _doubt_ that!" Mr. Potter replied.

"_Hello_?" James yelled over both of his squabbling parents. "Could someone _please_ explain what's going on?"

"You said a Lily word." Mr. Potter stated simply.

"Pardon?" James repeated.

"A _Lily word_. A word you got from Lily." Mrs. Potter expanded. "We're keeping track of who can notice quicker you use them."

James chuckled. "Well, as I was saying Mum, I think I'll visit Lily down in Spain, just for something to do."

Mrs. Potter nodded her approval. "Take your broom and invisibility cloak then."

James nodded, heading for the doorway, so he could go upstairs and pack, before turning to face his parents once more. "And you tell _me_ to grow up Mum. _Honestly_."

James disappeared upstairs too quickly to notice his parents silently pointing at each other and mouthing 'Lily word' furiously before beginning to argue over who had spun around and pointed at the other first.

-----

"I absolutely _love_ Spain." Abby decided, rolling over onto her back, attempting to tan more, though there was really no point. Abby was dark now, and her brown hair was bleached with lighter, natural brown highlights. Lily on the other hand, looked relatively the same, except for the fact that her skin was bright red. Abby had been quite accurate when she said Lily looked like a tomato.

"It would be more fun if Cass was around… Or J–" Lily stopped herself as quickly as she could. She was sitting on a beach chair under a large beach umbrella with a book and a hat on, while Abby lay sprawled out on a towel on the sand.

"Or James?" Abby asked curiously, looking up at Lily with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Lily blushed slightly, though Abby couldn't tell since Lily's cheeks were permanently red from sunburn. "I _do_ miss him, Abs. But…"

"But?" Abby prompted.

"I don't know." Lily admitted. "Being with James is awesome, and I know I love him, but last year was just so…"

"Did he explain to you why he got so insecure and jealous?" Abby asked.

Lily nodded. "He said he was afraid to loose me. That I was too good for him."

"That's sweet." Abby said dreamily. "I wish Remus would say things like that."

Lily frowned slightly. "He doesn't?"

Abby motioned casually. "Well, we love each other, that's certain. But we'll never have something like you and James."

"What _something_?"

"The something that makes you care for that person with your entire being." Abby answered smoothly. "That makes you willing to overlook all their flaws, be willing to put yourself in harm's way for them… You and James have that."

"We're only sixteen." Lily protested reasonably.

"All the better." Abby insisted. "You've found it early, and you've got more time together."

Lily looked apprehensive for a moment, before nodding. "Alright then. It would be even more fun if Cass were around… or _James_."

Abby beamed. "Yes, I definitely agree."

-------  
  
Cass smiled to herself as Elias led her toward who-knows-where, his large hands covering her curious blue eyes, his arms wrapped around her as he did so, pushing her gently toward his 'soo-prize.' She was enjoying spending time with Elias, and had decided not to question their relationship, as that would lead back to thoughts of Sirius. Mostly, she just wanted to enjoy this holiday, and Elias was working hard to make sure she did.

"Soo-prize!" Elias said happily, removing his hands from her eyes. In front of her was a sailboat, a large one with a big deck and an old wooden steering wheel at the back. There was a table set up by the mast, lighted with lanterns and candles and loaded with food, and Lily and Abby sat there smiling. Both Lily and Abby had assured Cass that they didn't mind Elias, in fact Lily quite liked him, but they'd kept away just the same.

"Happy birthday!" Lily said with a grin.

"Oh…" Cass could barely string a sentence together, she was so surprised. She'd been having so much fun with Elias she'd forgotten about her birthday herself. Yet her two friends were there on the boat, with food and a pile of presents and cards.

Elias gave the girls some space and took the helm, steering the boat out onto the ocean, while the girls chatted and Cass opened her presents. They had to hide several of the Wizarding presents from Elias, who was a muggle, but the rest Cass proudly showcased for him, holding them above her head so he could see from the steering wheel.

Her parents sent money. Lily and Abby had pitched in for a new dress, a pair of jeans, a sky blue string bikini, and a sweater. Remus had sent along chocolate frogs; Peter, surprisingly had sent along a handful of quills; James had sent a book entitled 'Useful Charms for the Beginning Prankster' (_To be shared with Lily_, he'd added in the note). Lily and Abby had also compiled a scrapbook of their sixth year, all of them having fun, and Cass was quite content to look at all the pictures and laugh instead of opening the only envelope left in her gift pile, which she recognized was from Sirius.

Elias, however, didn't realize this, and picked up the envelope as he joined the girls. "Cassidy, you forgot this one."

Cass took it slowly. "Thanks, Elias." She held it for a moment, but with an expectant look from Elias and anxious ones from Lily and Abby, she tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, her eyes fleeting across it as if it held no meaning.

_Dear Cass,_

_I'm pretty sure I've buggered up our relationship beyond belief, but it doesn't mean I can't say happy birthday, right? Happy Birthday Cassidy Flemmings. I'm sorry I'm such an arse. Let's talk at Hogwarts. Hope you're having a good summer._

_Sirius._

Her friends were silent as Cass read the letter, all eyes on her, the only noise coming from the constant rolling of the waves as they hit the side of the boat and moved on again. Finishing the letter, Cass set it down with a grim expression. "Well, who's up for some cake?"

-------

It'd taken James about four days to figure out exactly where Lily was. He knew she was in Spain, as she'd written him and told him so, but, he was sad to discover, Spain wasn't exactly a _small_ country. There were any number of cities she could be in, and James had to put all of his Marauder instincts into deciding which ones she most definitely wasn't it. He knew she wasn't in Barcelona, but otherwise she could be in any other city, such as Seville, or some isolated fishing village on the coast. It was only after three days of pondering that he realized Lily would have told her parents where she was, _exactly_ where.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans were quite surprised to see James Potter standing on their doorstep on an early Sunday morning, holding a broomstick, a large cloak, and several shrunken bags. Charlie had been thrilled, Petunia was disgusted, and Vernon looked him up and down guardedly, as if James might attack at any moment.

Charlie was quite disappointed that James wasn't staying to teach him how to play quidditch, but very keenly showed James his Hogwarts letter that had arrived that week.

"See James?!" he asked excitedly. "It's addressed to _me_!"

James nodded. "It's great Charlie!"

"And Lily got one too!" Charlie added, his face flushed with enthusiasm.

James nodded again. "Yep. She gets one every year."

"Yeah, but this one had a badge in it." Charlie exclaimed, puffing his chest out importantly.

"A badge?" James asked curiously, his attention peaked. Pleased that he'd finally gotten James's attention, Charlie nodded importantly.

"Yup. She's Head Girl."

James grinned. "I knew she would be. Does she know?"

Charlie shook his head. "Nuh uh. She left for Seville before the letter came."

"Is that where she went?" James asked with an innocent smile. "Seville?"

Charlie nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! She's written me twice already! There's a Spanish boy who won't leave them alone! She says he's funny."

James's pleased expression faded into a mixture of hurt, jealousy, and disbelief. "Pardon?"

"Uh uh." Charlie continued, oblivious to James's feelings for his sister. "She says he looks just like Mario, except he's nicer and less of a…" Charlie paused, trying to remember Lily's exact words. "Prat! That's it!"

James smiled as serenely as possible, ignoring his cheeks, which were now tinted pink with restrained anger. "Well, Charlie," James said through clenched teeth, "I'd love to stay, but I have to go visit another friend of mine."

Charlie looked somewhat disappointed, but nodded with understanding. "But… you'll take me to Diagon Alley, won't you? You and Lily?"

James smiled. "Sure."

--------  
  
Lily snuggled into her blankets, sticking her face into her pillow and yawning slightly. It was way too early to be up, especially by Lily's standards. It was six o' clock in the morning, and they'd only gotten back from the boat at one. She'd been sleeping soundly until she heard an odd clicking noise, which kept her awake. It was relatively constant, but then would stop, and she'd start to doze off again. Then it would start again. Lily groaned into her pillow and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Who on earth would be making these clicking noises as such an hour? They sounded exactly like… '_Pebbles on the window!_' Lily realized, hopping from her bed with a burst of energy, dashing across the room to the window and throwing it open.

The night's cool air hit her, but immediately she looked about for the source of the noise. Another pebble soared up, flying right past the side of her head.

"Bugger!" A voice below muttered.

"James?" Lily called out cautiously, leaning over the window-ledge to be greeted by a pleased-looking face and mop of black hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." James answered simply, retrieving his broom from the side of the house, where it had been leaning. He mounted it, and pushed off, floating up to her and grinning.

"About?" Lily asked curiously.

"Things." James answered vaguely, landing neatly on the window ledge and slipping into Lily's room.

"Were these things _that_ important that you needed to tell me right _now_?" Lily inquired, stepping back from the window to make room for James, who was at least two inches taller than when she'd last seen him.

"Yes."

"Alright." Lily was getting slightly irritated, as she was tired, it was too early, and James was being all vague and mysterious. "What?"

"Who's this guy Charlie told me about?"

Lily frowned for a moment, before realization dawned on her face and she smiled impishly. "You mean _Elias_?"

James nodded briefly. "What's with you and him?"

Lily laughed. "Nothing. There's stuff between him and _Cass_, though."

James's face visibly relaxed and he grinned slightly too.

"Is that why you're here, James? Jealous again?" Lily asked softly.

James shook his head. "It's not only that. Lily… I tried to stop, but I can't." James said softly, gently brushing a loose ringlet from Lily's face. They were less than six inches apart now. " I love you, and being friends is too hard. Give me a chance, and I'll be better, I promise. I trust you, I truly do. Either we're not friends, or more than that, it's your decision, but – "

Lily interrupted him, kissing him forcefully on the lips, but James pushed away, holding her close to him, but looking for answers.

"Does this mean?" he asked cautiously, causing Lily to smile.

"Yep. You're stuck with me again."

-------  
  
Sirius groaned as James bounced into the room, smiling gleefully and clutching a piece of parchment in his hand. Sirius had finally returned to the Potter's house after James had written a lengthy letter explaining what a horrid friend he was. Sirius wrote a note back agreeing. It was mid-August now, James hadn't mentioned his little trip to Spain but had been cheerier than Peter had been when he found out he actually _passed_ Potions.

"What?" Sirius muttered irritably. "Did Lily send you a _letter_? You're not going to piss yourself with excitement, are you? That would be very Wormtail-ish of you."

James rolled his eyes. "That happened _once_, okay? You really should give Peter a break about that."

Sirius snorted loudly. "Pah. You _used_ to think it was funny. What'd Evans do this time? Tell you to lose your personality and she _might_ like you again?"

James glared at Sirius. "Don't start, Padfoot."

"Why the fuck not?" Sirius asked angrily, his bad mood escalating in fury as he stood up, walking to his friend and giving James a good shove. "You're not yourself anymore! You're a friggin' priss! You hardly _ever_ pull pranks or joke, or hex Slytherins! Evans has turned you into some rule-abiding ninny! Next thing you know you'll be wanting to let the Ministry know we're animagi. I bet that's what Evans wants, she already knows, doesn't she?"

James's face hardened. "I've changed a bit Sirius. I've grown up a bit. But I still joke and prank. And I'd never tell Lily about Remus and us unless I absolutely had to. That's our secret."

Sirius was silent for a moment, before he nodded slowly. "I'm sorry mate… I just… I know you'll never tell Lily about certain things, and that you're not a priss. In fact, Evans has changed you for the better I think… I just… I wrote Cass and she hasn't wrote me back."

James smiled weakly. "Who would have thought the mighty Marauders could go this fanatical over women? We used to have handfuls to pick from and now we're stuck on one each."

Sirius nodded gravely. "It's crazy. At least Remus has his girl though."

James sighed his agreement and the two boys sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each deep in their own thoughts. Sirius wondered if Cass would ever forgive him, and worried about his friends. He felt like he was loosing them, and they were all he had left. James wondered if he should mention Cass's new boyfriend, Elias, that he and Lily were back together, or that Peter had peed himself on more than one occasion.

"I'll bet you that I can get Flemmings to go out with me before you can get Evans back." Sirius said with a spirited grin.

"Padfoot, you're already my slave for next year, you don't want to loose again, do you?" James asked with a smirk.

"I won't loose. And that's the point. I need to cancel that out." Sirius replied knowledgably.

"Sure." James agreed, shaking Sirius's hand loosely. His face hid any clue that he indeed had already gotten Lily back, and this time he thought he'd let her in on the joke.

--------

"You mean to say that Sirius made up another _contest_?" Lily asked, her voice full of contempt and disapproval for the final word.

James nodded slowly. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but they were in a safe public place in Diagon Alley, and Charlie could always hold Lily off while he ran for it.

"To see who can get back who first?" Lily continued, prompting another nod from James. "And you want me to know about it but go along with it, and have Cass go along with it too?"

"Yep." James answered simply. "For once the joke could be on him. We won't let him know about _us_, then Cass can let him chase her around and constantly put him down, then we can announce our back-togetherness after he's embarrassed himself enough for our liking, and we have a slave for another year. All of us."

Lily looked slightly skeptical, her eyebrow arched as if she were deep in thought. She was still absent-mindedly measuring Charlie's potion ingredients for next year as he stared at the dragon's liver and annoyed the shopkeeper with stupid muggle-like questions.

"Lily! Can I get… powdered root of ass… assfowdell?" Charlie asked anxiously, trying to pronounce the name correctly and pointing at a bin with great enthusiasm.

"You mean asphodel?" Lily asked nonchalantly. Charlie shook his head vigorously. "No, you don't need it yet, Charlie."

Charlie stuck out his tongue and moved on to another bin, James taking his turn to look at Lily anxiously. "So?"

"So?" she replied.

"What do you think?"

Lily looked at him, a mischievous glint flickering across her emerald eyes. "As long as Cass is in too… I'm in."

--------------  
  
**Review! Review! ******


	2. Another Surprise

**Boys Never Learn **

**I'm soooo sorry for the lack of updates. Reality called… again. I actually flunked a bio test and so I've been revising for that every free second I get. Actually, my parents have been _making_ me revise. I'd much rather write more chapters for you guys. :) Thanks to everyone who reviewed… cilverblood, Sweet Sarcasm, Jen Riddle, PoertyOutLoud, FrostQueen4Eva, Accio Flaming Stake, Silverian Rose, born2driveat16, theQuibbleringQuibblerer, Redpixie143, JessiAnne032791, TooSweet4Words, and Nicole and Yoni. You guys rock my socks, thanks for being patient… I know I'm horrible.**

**Disclaimer (forgot it last time): I'm not J.K. Rowling. All characters except Abby, Cass, Belinda, Oliver, Charlie, err… and everyone else not in the books belong to me. The rest belong to her. :)**

**Chapter 2: Another Surprise.**

_Stay away from me tonight   
I've made other plans   
And you'll just be distracting me   
In a good way _

She doesn't know   
That I love her   
Yes I love her

Make a move on me baby   
I cant be the one who's   
Always taking chances   
See me down   
So you get down   
No you've got me all wrong   
I just want to kiss your lips   
And you kiss back

_- Stay Away, Rooney. _

Sirius Black yawned loudly as he swung his legs over the edge of his back and rubbed his back tiredly. It was September 1st, he'd be going back to school with all his friends… and Cassidy Flemmings of course. He moaned slightly as his strong hands found a sore spot on his lower back. His back was still sore from sleeping in a cardboard box for three days that summer, when he was trying to get James to write him a letter.

"Morning, poppet!" James beamed as he stuck his head in Sirius's doorway, his raven black hair disheveled as usual, but his smile taking up a good half of his face.

Sirius raised his eyebrows slightly. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing." James replied innocently, his smile only fading slightly.

"Well obviously you've sniffed something. What's it this time? More glue? Paint?" Sirius asked, looking dead serious as he slipped off the bed and walked to his closet, which was empty save for one outfit, which he'd planned on wearing, until he realized –

"Prongs, did your mother _replace_ what I was planning on wearing?" Sirius asked incredulously.

James shrugged casually. He was sitting on the floor of Sirius's room now, by Sirius's trunk, holding a worn envelope in his hand. "She might have. Why?"

"She… she…" Sirius seemed too overcome to speak properly. "She…"

"_What_,_ Padfoot?_" James asked irritably. He was a bit of a morning person, but it didn't take much to put him in a bad mood. It was, after all, only ten o'clock in the morning.

Sirius remained fazed. "She…"

James, tired of listening to Sirius attempt to speak, stood and joined Sirius at his closet. "_What_ are you on about – _oh_…"

Sirius nodded grimly. "Any chance she hasn't used her locking spell on my trunk yet?"

James gave his friend a pitying look. "Not at all. You're screwed, mate."

Mrs. Potter's locking spells were infamous in the family. Once she locked something, it wouldn't unlock until it arrived at a certain place or a certain time rolled around. Once she'd locked Mr. Potter's suitcase for work and ended up locking it for a month.

"But _this_ of all things." Sirius complained. "What will people think?"

"Err… that your mother dressed you?" James asked timidly.

Sirius shook his head solemnly. "If _my_ mum had dressed me, I'd have a black shirt that said something along the lines of 'Death Eaters R Us' or 'Voldie for Minister'. Reggie probably has them."

James smirked. "Well, if you want me to be honest…"

"Which I do." Sirius insisted.

James smiled sympathetically. "You'd look better with a 'Yay Voldie'."

Sirius nodded gloomily. "You're probably right."

«×0/0×»

"LILY! WE'RE GOING TO HOGWARTS!" Charlie yelled, for about the seventh time in the past three minutes as the Evans family pilled into their car to head to Kings Cross Station.

Lily nodded slowly, biting her lip to stop herself from blowing up at Charlie. It was _much_ too early for Charlie to be so happy and bouncy. Lily had _never_ been a morning person, and she never would be.

Elizabeth Evans turned in the passenger seat to face her children, smiling patiently at Charlie. "Charlie dear, you can use your _inside_ voice."

"But _Mum_," Charlie whined, sounding a lot like James. "I'm going to _Hogwarts_. I'M GOING TO LEARN MAGIC!"

Petunia rolled her eyes. "Please Charlie. You shouldn't be so proud that there's another freak in the family."

"We're not freaks, Petty." Charlie replied coolly, before regaining his immaturity and sticking out his tongue. "You're just jealous."

Petunia snorted. "As if."

Lily sighed peacefully. It was kind of nice that Charlie could argue with Petunia now and she didn't have to bother. Covering her mouth as she yawned, she glanced out the window. It was the ideal day for travel, rain was pouring down and the air was cool. Plus, she was _Head Girl_.

Lily had always aspired to be Head Girl, ever since she learned of the existence of the position in her first year. She saw it not only as what would be a fun position, but also an opportunity to prove to everyone that she and Charlie belonged. She hadn't told anyone she'd gotten the position, she thought they'd like the surprise. She was _slightly_ curious as to who the Head Boy was though. Probably Remus. Whoever it was, she could only hope James wouldn't be jealous.

«×0/0×»

"Did you tell Lily?" Sirius asked, as he and James stood on Platform 9¾, waiting for their other friends, ignoring the fact that they were both soaking wet already, and James ignoring the people staring at them curiously while Sirius glared at them.

They had no reason to stare at James, who looked relatively the same as he had at the end of sixth year, aside from being taller, his wet hair being matted, and the rest of him soaked through the skin. Most of the curious looks were directed at Sirius, who, instead of being dressed in his usual all-black, wore tight blue jeans and a knitted bright yellow sweater. James shook his head.

"_Go away._" Sirius muttered harshly at a group of passing first years, who looked at the infamous Sirius Black and stifled back laughter.

"Be nice to the little kids, Black." Cass said frostily as she joined the two boys, holding a light blue umbrella above her head. Her dirty blonde hair was falling in soft, wispy layers, and she was much more tanned than she had been at the beginning of the summer. She was wearing a light blue cashmere sweater that her parents had sent her, and black jeans. She smiled in amusement as she caught sight of Sirius's attire. "Nice outfit, Black."

"I like yours much better." Sirius replied impishly, ignoring the slight tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks.

James blinked. What Sirius Black _blushing_? It couldn't be.

Cass rolled her ice-blue eyes, but they immediately brightened when they landed on Abby, who was jogging up to the group with Remus, both of them sheltering themselves under Remus's cloak. Both Abby and Remus were tanned from the summer, and Abby had cut her hair to fall in choppy layers to her chin.

"Cass!" Abby squealed, running ahead of Remus to embrace her friend.

Cass grinned and hugged Abby back. "Hey Abs." It had only been about five minutes since Abby had seen Cass, considering Cass lived with the Scott family while her parents were in America, but it was still fun to make a show of it on the platform.

Sirius rolled his eyes, imitating Cass. Peter Pettigrew was the next to join them, catching Cass and Abby's little episode as he waved his mother off. Peter hadn't changed much over the summer, Cass noted. He was still pale and short, with a rat-like face. Sirius, James, and Remus now _towered_ over him. Peter's face was contorted in confusion, as it often was.

"Err Abby… doesn't Cass _live_ with you?" Peter asked timidly.

Both Cass and Abby burst into laughter, leaving Remus to explain to poor clueless Peter. "They're just having fun, Peter."

"Oh." Peter answered simply.

"_Oh_ indeed." Sirius added, with a grin.

"LOOK! IT'S JAMES! AND SIRIUS!" A loud voice roared out over the platform, causing several students and their families to cease conversation and stare in amazement at the two Evans children, Charlie pulling Lily along excitedly by the hand, while Lily dragged the cart behind her, apologizing as she rolled it over people's feet.

"I know, Charlie. _Please_ quiet down." Lily said patiently.

"JAMES!" Charlie Evans broke free to run up to James Potter and tackle the unsuspecting sixteen-year-old to the ground, getting both boys (if it were possible) even more wet.

"Bear!" Abby rushed over and flung herself on Lily, squeezing her friend tightly. Cass was next for a hug, followed by Remus and Sirius. Lily offered a handshake to Peter, before realizing that James was still sitting on the wet pavement of the platform, as Charlie animatedly described the broom Lily had promised to buy him for his thirteenth birthday.

"It's called… a… Nimbus… _and_ Lily said she'd buy it for me for my thirteenth birthday! So I could play for Gryffindor!" Charlie said excitedly, sitting on the wet pavement next to James, oblivious to how wet he was.

James nodded kindly. "That's great Charlie."

"Charlie, get up." Lily said exhaustedly, grabbing her little brother's hand and pulling him up. "You go find yourself a compartment. Sirius will put your trunk away and I'll come see you in a bit."

Charlie nodded eagerly and skipped off down the platform.

"Can I help you up, Mr. Potter?" Lily asked with a twinkle in her green eyes, extending her hand to James.

"I'd appreciate that greatly, Miss Evans." James said with a smile, grabbing her hand and allowing her to help him up. The result was their faces very close together, and James was instantly reminded of when they'd stood in the rain before Petunia's wedding, making up after a fight and kissing. James had to use every ounce of restraint in his hormonal teenage body not to kiss her senseless right that moment. If Cass was in, and the girls were in with the contest, Sirius couldn't know he and Lily were together. Lily smiled at him awkwardly for a moment, before giving him a warm hug.

"Hey you." She whispered softly in his ear, standing on her toes to do so.

James grinned at her as they separated, his eyes never moving from hers.

Abby gasped. "Lily! You're Head Girl!" Abby was pointing an accusing finger at Lily's chest, where sure enough, pinned on her coat was a silver badge reading 'Head Girl'. "Congratulations!"

Lily turned away from James to smile at her friend and smile proudly. Cass engulfed her friend in another hug. "I knew you'd do it, Tig! Congrats!"

Sirius groaned. "Not more hugs! We're all bloody saps."

Abby beamed. "Fine then, Sirius. Cass _won't_ hug you."

Sirius's face went white, causing the rest of the group to laugh and Cass to scowl.

"Seriously though, we should get out of the rain." Remus noted. The group nodded in agreement, and Peter led the way into the nearest carriage, followed by Cass, Sirius, Remus, and Abby.

"Congratulations Lils, I knew you'd do it." James said proudly, wrapping an arm around her waist. Lily pushed his arm off her.

"James, remember the contest." Lily warned.

"Yeah, well Sirius can't see us now, can he?" James replied, with a playful twinkle in his hazel eyes.

Lily smiled. "We can't, silly. Other people can see, and if other people catch me snogging your brains out, it'll get back to Sirius."

James's eyebrows rose. "Who's being arrogant now?"

Lily frowned. "How was _I_ being arrogant?"

"_If people catch me snogging your brains out,_" James imitated Lily, prancing about with his hands and bringing his voice up a pitch before reclaiming his normal stance. "_Please_, Lily Marie Cordelia Evans. You're being arrogant by saying that _you_ can snog _my_ brains out… When clearly it is the other way around."

Lily smirked and playfully shoved James in the chest, surprised to feel something hard. "What's in your pocket?"

James smiled naively. "Err…"

"James." Lily warned sternly.

"This." James replied quietly, holding out a silver Head Boy badge, similar to Lily's. Lily's face broke into unrestrained shock.

"When did you get this?" she asked slowly.

"This summer. When I visited you in Spain."

"And you're _sure_ that it wasn't sent to you by mistake?" Lily asked desperately.

James nodded patiently. He hadn't seen it coming either. He was a _Marauder_. It was common knowledge that he and his friends had little respect for the school rules, let alone some of the teachers and certain students. His parents had even laughed when he told them, thinking it was a joke, as had Sirius.

"Are you _sure_? You haven't told anyone, have you?" Lily asked quickly. "I mean, it could be a mistake and you wouldn't want to be saying you're Head Boy when you're not…"

"I've told everyone _but_ you. And I checked with Dumbledore, there was no mistake." There was a slight bit of hurt in James's voice, and he was loosing his patience. Was it _that_ hard to believe?

"So y_ou're_ Head Boy?" Lily demanded, still looking beyond shocked. "How could _you_ be Head Boy?!?"

'_Obviously so._' James mused. "Lily! You're supposed to be my friend!" James cried in exasperation. "You're supposed to be supportive!"

The stunned look faded from her face, and Lily grinned evilly. "Was Sirius supportive?"

"Err... No." James admitted.

"Then I don't have to be supportive either." Lily replied smugly.

"That's not fair!"

"Why not?" Lily asked innocently.

"Because you're my _girlfriend_." James replied quietly, as if that were a valid excuse.

Lily smiled back at her boyfriend. "You're right." She said through clenched teeth. "But no one but Cass, you and me knows that."

James shrugged. "Good point."

«×0/0×»

It took quite a while for Lily and James to _find_ their friends, and after finding a rather tense compartment, as Sirius had apparently said something inappropriate to Cass, who was now quite angry with him, they decided it would be best to go to the Prefect's Compartment to announce that there would be a meeting at school.

"I'm Lily Evans, Head Girl for this year, and this James, he's Head Boy." Lily announced confidently to the group of prefects, standing behind a rather high desk with James at her side.

"Hello!" James called out brightly to the assembled prefects, causing several of the girls to giggle and wave shyly.

"How did _Potter_ get to be Head Boy?" Severus Snape, a Slytherin, sneered from the back row, where he sat with Bellatrix Black, Sirius's cousin.

"Obviously Dumbledore favours him." Bellatrix decided aloud.

Lawrence Avery, another seventh-year Slytherin chuckled in agreement. "Either that, or Dumbledore's off his rocker. Hell, _I'd_ be a better Head Boy."

Lily took James's hand behind the table and squeezed it gently. "I don't think that matters, Severus." Lily replied evenly. "And Avery, James is Head Boy whether you like it or not, so fuck off and give him some respect. There must be some reason Dumbledore chose James over you."

James had another strong urging to kiss Lily, or do something to express not only his gratitude but also that he just plain loved her. God she was amazing. The room was silent, most people too shocked at the idea that Lily Evans had sworn to show any emotion, although many Slytherins shot Lily looks of deep loathing, which she ignoring dutifully.

Lily gave the group a false, bright smile. "So, on to patrolling schedules, eh?"

«×0/0×»

"Cass, you _know_ Sirius is an arse," Abby said pleadingly, "you _know_ he never means what he says."

"You _do_ realize that I'm still here, Scott, right?" Sirius piped up from his corner of the compartment.

Remus grinned from behind his book, and Peter chuckled, but Abby ignored him.

"Come on Cassy! Don't be mad." Abby pouted.

Cass smiled. "You might be able to get anything you want from Remus with a look like that, but not from me. I'm only mad at Black anyways."

"True, true." Remus agreed, putting his book down to join the conversation.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Come on Cass, Sirius and you need to make up."

"You and Sirius, dearie." Remus corrected gently.

Abby smiled through clenched teeth. "_Dearie_, shut up."

Sirius groaned loudly. "You two act like _such_ a married couple. You're worse than Lily and James were."

Remus scoffed. "Doubt that."

Abby nodded in agreement. "Now _those_ two were insufferable."

"You shouldn't be talking, Abs, you and Remus are a close second." Cass said with a smile.

Sirius beamed. "Look! Flemmings and I agree on something!"

Cass tried to hide a smile at this, which caused her face to scrunch up slightly in the process, but Sirius still couldn't keep his eyes off her. God she was amazing.

**«×0/0×»**

**Nice fluffy-bits! If you haven't realized, Lily's a bit saucier this year, you'll learn why later. :) Keep smilin' and review!**


	3. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Boys Never Learn**

**Yay! Chapter 3 arrives! I had a hard time writing this one, partially because it's a transition chappie because I've actually planned out a plot of sorts for this story! cheers Anyways…**

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. All characters except Abby, Cass, Belinda, Oliver, Charlie, err… and everyone else not in the books belong to me. The rest belong to her. :)**

**------**

**Chapter 3: Home Is Where the Heart Is**

"CASSIDY FLEMMINGS LOVES ME! I LOVE CASSIDY FLEMMINGS!"

Cass groaned loudly and rolled over on her side, snuggling herself further into her bed and grabbing a pillow and placing it over her head, trying to ignore Sirius's exceptionally loud singing. It was only eight o'clock in the morning, but all of Gryffindor Tower had been up for at least an hour now – Sirius had been singing that long. It amazed Cass that his voice hadn't gone hoarse, obviously some stupid Black-worshipper was bringing him water. Probably Peter. Or any girl in Gryffindor House with the exception of herself, Lily, and Abby, for that matter.

"Won't the bloody prat take a hint and _shut up_?" Cass asked aloud, her voice muffled by her pillow.

"He seems pretty determined, actually." Abby commented as she brushed her hair, sitting on Lily's old bed. "He's got Peter running back and forth from the kitchens bringing him more water – "

"Knew it."

"And a bunch of lower-year girls are writing you hate mail." Abby continued casually, finished brushing her hair and now setting out Cass's uniform.

Cass's head perked up from amid the covers. "What? Why would they write me hate mail?"

Abby snorted in disbelief. "I hope you're still asleep and actually not that dumb."

"CASSIDY FLEMMINGS LOVES ME!" Sirius roared from the common room below.

"No, seriously, why would they?" Cass asked, sitting up and turning around to face Abby with a curious look.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Hasn't it occurred to you, Cass, that Sirius is popular?"

"I LOVE CASSIDY FLEMMINGS!"

Cass shrugged. "It's occurred to me. Though I've never discovered _what_ exactly is so attractive."

Abby gave Cass a stern look. "That's not fair, Cass. You can't deny that you fancied him last year."

"Until I learned what an arse he was."

"That's not fair either. He apologized in that letter he sent you on your birthday." Abby reminded, gently. Cass was still very touchy on the subject, she'd been acting a tad bitchy around Sirius, merely because she was still hurt about the way he'd treated her last Valentine's Day, whether she admitted it or not.

"Yeah, well… still." Cass replied, at a loss for an argument for a few seconds, before a smug look came across her face. "You'd think after seeing how he treated me that other girls wouldn't fancy him as much."

"They _did,_ until Sirius decided to be incredibly romantic and sing about how much he loves you to the entire house."

"It's not romantic, it's annoying." Cass replied irritably.

Abby held up her hands to prove her innocence. "I'm in the same boat. But the majority of the female Gryffindor population thinks otherwise, alright?"

Cass grunted. "_What_ idiots."

"CASSIDY FLEMMINGS LOVES ME!"

Abby grinned as she heard Sirius's voice again. "You have to admit it's a _bit_ sweet that he's doing this."

Cass looked at Abby skeptically. "Shall I tell Remus to do it tomorrow then?"

"Alright, sweet but annoying, and humiliating now that you mention it." Abby conceded with an embarrassed smile.

The dormitory door opened suddenly, allowing Sirius's yells to echo through the dormitory even louder than they'd done previously and Cass and Abby to cringe, before the door was shut just as urgently, leaving a red faced Lily and Belinda leaning against the door in terror.

"_What_ on earth," Lily said breathlessly, "is Sirius doing?"

"Proving his love for Cass." Abby replied nonchalantly. "What are you doing here?"

"McGonagall sent James and I to handle the 'situation' in Gryffindor Tower." Lily explained. "James thought there'd been a riot or something… was it just Sirius?"

Abby nodded, smiling. Lily, as Head Girl, was now sharing a private common room and dormitory with James, which gave Sirius a lot of material to taunt them with, but also meant she hadn't been around Gryffindor Tower as much.

"Well that's rather sweet." Lily commented. Cass groaned loudly and Abby laughed.

"Don't you dare say that he's being sweet. Ever." Cass demanded, running a hand through her bed-head.

"Most of the girls downstairs think he's being – " Lily protested, before Cass interrupted, waving her hands like a mad woman.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, _NO_! I've heard it and I don't _care_!"

Lily and Abby laughed, and even Belinda, who was still nervous around the group, despite being invited to sit with them at every meal and the warm hug Lily had given her on the train, managed to chuckle.

"Well Cass, all the fifth and sixth year girls want you to either tell him to piss off or go snog him senseless. They want to know if they can move in on him or not." Belinda said awkwardly, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "Not me of course," she added hastily, blushing.

Lily smiled warmly at Belinda. "Yeah, you're too busy with _Oliver_."

Abby and Cass laughed, but Belinda shook her head. "No, we broke up. Over the summer."

Lily's face softened and the laughter ceased immediately. She wrapped a comforting arm around Belinda, pulling her into a hug. "Oh, Belinda, I'm so sorry."

"How'd it happen?" Cass asked sympathetically.

"He just came over to my house one day and said he'd had enough." Belinda answered, her voice wobbling slightly. "He said he still had feelings for Lily and it wasn't fair to me."

"I'm sorry Belinda, it's my fault, I'll talk with him." Lily insisted, feeling quite guilty. Who knew what she'd been doing when Oliver dumped Belinda for _her_? '_Probably snogging James, actually.'_ A voice in her head pointed out cynically. It was probably right too.

Belinda shook her head again. "Nah, it's fine. I'm alright."

"You're doing better than Cass then." Abby commented mindlessly.

Cass glared at Abby. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're still hung up on Sirius." Abby replied factually.

"We had _nothing _for me to be hung up _on_!" Cass replied fiercely, the volume in her voice rising so that she could drown out Sirius's announcements of love.

"But you're hung up on him anyways." Abby replied, her tone still even. Cass had almost as fiery a temper as Lily, and Abby was the only one not to flinch and cower before the two.

"I _do _have a _boyfriend,_ Abby." Cass protested.

"You can have a boyfriend and still like _or_ be_ hung up _on another one. And it's not like Elias counts. Has he written you _once_ since Spain, Cass, has he?"

"_Yes,_ actually. He _has_!" Cass yelled, letting any restriction on her temper fly out the window. "In fact, he's _moved_ to England so he can be closer to _me_ once school's finished!"

"Does he know you're a _witch _then?" Abby replied heatedly. "What if he isn't fond of witches? What then Cass?"

"I'LL STOP BEING A WITCH THEN!" Cass shrieked, her face so red and contorted with anger that she looked about ready to kill someone.

Abby laughed, in the face of Cass's murderous glares, which awed Lily and Belinda. "Stop being a witch, Cass? You can't stop being a witch, it's who you are!"

"I can and I will, so watch me." Cass yelled indignantly. "I can also stop being your friend and I think I might try that one out too!"

Lily gasped, Belinda looked shell-shocked, and even Abby looked slightly surprised, but her stunned look faded into one of indifference, and she shrugged. "Fine then."

Abby turned to Lily and Belinda. "See you at breakfast?"

Lily nodded dumbly.

"I'll err… come with you now." Belinda said slowly, watching Cass cautiously as if Cass might bite her head off too.

Abby nodded curtly and led the way from the dormitory, once again allowing Sirius's singing to echo into the room. Lily's face managed a weak smile as she heard Sirius continue his repertoire, and that James had joined in with his own rendition of 'I love Lily Evans!'

"Did you mean that Cass?" Lily asked quietly as she crossed the dormitory and joined Cass on her bed.

Cass shook her head guiltily. "But she won't just lay off. I'm not going to get together with Sirius, and she won't accept it. And I won't apologize until _she_ accepts it and apologizes."

"Maybe she just wants you to be the happy, _nice_ Cass that you were before Sirius?" Lily suggested quietly. "I mean, you've been a tad…"

"Bitchy?" Cass suggested.

Lily nodded. "Only lately. Around Sirius of course."

"I just… I can't believe he still _hits _on me, you know? Especially after last Valentine's Day, I just can't believe he'd have the _nerve _to do it."

Lily shrugged. "That's Sirius for you. Besides, it is _sort of_ part of the contest he's having with James, right?"

"I guess." Cass admitted, nodding with a hurt look twisted on her face.

"Well, what do you think about the contest? The one I mentioned in August?"

Cass shrugged indifferently. "I s'ppose it would be fun. I'd love to see Sirius's face once he finally realized it was a joke. He'd kinda get a taste of his own medicine too, you know?"

Lily nodded wisely. "So you're in?"

"Most definitely." Cass decided.

Lily smiled, though her smile turned into a wince as she heard James go completely off key as he sang. "That _does _mean you have to be _nice _to Sirius you realize. Even _encourage _his pursuits and all that."

Cass nodded solemnly. "Certain things require sacrifice, and teaching Sirius Black a lesson is obviously one of them."

Lily smiled. "That's the spirit."

Cass snorted and rolled her eyes, heaving herself out of bed to get ready. After fifteen minutes or so, most of the time used taming Cass's hair, which resembled a messily made nest and the magical shortening of Cass's skirt.

"Lily! That's short enough thanks." Cass protested as Lily shortened Cass's skirt another inch with her wand. "I'd prefer not to look _completely_ slutty."

Lily shrugged. "It looks nice. I'm not hitting on you or anything, Cass, but you have quite nice legs. I'm sure Sirius will enjoy you flaunting them."

"Nah." Cass replied deftly. "He's only after me for the contest."

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Lily warned.

Cass just shook her head stubbornly. "Please. Just shut up about Sirius's feelings for me and continue slutifying me."

Lily raised an eyebrow in amusement. "_Slutifying_?"

"What else would you call it?"

----

"Bloody hell." Sirius remarked as he caught sight of Cass coming down the stairs, wearing earmuffs and an _exceptionally_ short skirt. He easily wasn't the only boy in the room who was looking at Cassidy Flemmings as if she were the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen.

"Morning James, Sirius." Cass said crisply as she reached them at the base of the stairs, Lily following.

"You're _speaking_ to me now, Flemmings?" Sirius asked, looking genuinely surprised.

Cass shrugged. "Why not? I mean, it's not every day a girl gets serenaded by Sirius Black."

"Ignoring the fact that he can't sing," James added, grinning wickedly. He'd clued in that Cass was indeed 'in' on the plan, judging by her friendlier behavior, which meant Sirius was on his way to humiliation. Of course, he hadn't seemed too embarrassed about singing in front of the entire house, and James briefly wondered how much it would take for Sirius to actually be embarrassed enough to make their plan worthwhile.

"Shut it. S'not like you were any better. May I accompany you to breakfast, madam?" Sirius asked Cass, bowing deeply and extending his hand toward Cass.

"No. But you can carry my books." Cass replied coolly, dropping her book bag onto Sirius's outstretched arm.

James smirked. "Ouch."

Cass strode to the portrait hole purposefully, climbing out as elegantly as possible in her short skirt, before turning back to face Sirius. "Come along, Sirius, I'd like to watch my things, don't want you pinching anything."

"I'm hurt you even suggested such a thing." Sirius said with a feigned hurt look, putting his hand over his 'wounded' heart as he followed her.

James smiled as his two friends left, turning his hazel eyes on Lily and running them up and down his girlfriend, who looked exceptionally pretty in a plain green sweater, her school skirt, and her hair pulled up in a messy bun.

"Quit checking me out, James." Lily muttered through clenched teeth as she looped her arm in his and they began to walk to breakfast, behind Cass and Sirius, who were loudly making their way through the corridors, Sirius singing loudly and Cass flinging hexes in his general direction.

"I'm allowed to." James defended.

"I know that." Lily hissed, her teeth still clenched, "but we're only supposed to be _friends_, remember?"

"So I have to wait till we get home before I can look at you properly?" James asked incredulously.

Lily's jaw managed to unhinge and become mobile, enough for her to frown slightly. "How do you look at someone _properly_? And where's _home_?"

"Looking at someone properly implies allowing your true feelings for said person to be recognizable, just from your look." James explained.

"Alright then." Lily conceded. "I'd hope the 'proper look' you'd give me would be a loving one."

"Of course, Lils." James agreed, before whistling and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"And the home bit?" Lily persisted.

James beamed, looking down at Lily, who was now at least five inches shorter than he, lovingly. "Our common room and dormitories. Haven't you ever heard the expression 'home is where the heart is'?"

Lily's face softened and both teenagers had to resist their raging hormones not to kiss each other, right then and there, in the middle of the Charms corridor.

"Seriously though," James continued, attempting to break the romantic mood he'd created purely by accident. "Haven't you heard that expression? I _think_ it's a muggle one."

"And what has that got to do with anything?" Lily asked, looking at James apprehensively.

James shrugged his shoulders innocently and looked out a window they were passing. "Well, what _do_ muggles do if they can't use magic other than read books and make up stupid expressions?"

Knowing he said it in jest, Lily playfully shoved herself against James's side, forgetting her arm was linked with his, and successfully shoving both herself and James into the wall.

"So muggles push one another into walls to pass the time then too?" James asked curiously.

Lily grunted. "Shut it, you great prat."

"That's _King Prat_ to you, you measly peasant prat."

"Excuse me?" Lily asked indignantly. "_Peasant_ prat?"

"Fine. You can be my Queen."

---

**And that's it! Review!! I've decided to keep you guys all excited about my story by dropping some plotty-bits, aside from the ones you've already read in the end of STT. **

**Plotty Bit #1:** Remus and Abby won't last as a couple. I won't tell you _why_ exactly, but I'm not sure you really care either, since Cass and Siriusseem to betaking up most of your frustration with the story.

**Plotty Bit #2:** Oliver (Field, i.e. Lily's old boyfriend from Sirius's Top Ten) will become a major character later in the story.

**Plotty Bit #3:** The next chapter will be purely from the viewpoint of… Charlie Evans! Woo-hoo! So we can expect lots of immature and Quidditch-related comments!


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